Luxury tented camps and wilderness excursions are gaining traction in our own backyard

Safari-style getaways are no longer solely found in Africa. Across the Americas, an increasing number of luxury resorts and ranches have laid down lavish tented camps and started offering wildlife-spotting and wilderness activities that bring their surroundings to life in vivid, unforgettable fashion. High-end tour operators have followed suit as well, with itineraries offering the drama of the African plains—without the day and a half of travel required to get there.

What’s spurring on the surge?

This is a relatively new phenomenon, driven in part by pandemic-era changes and an increasing realisation of what’s possible with a bit of imagination and investment. “We saw the initial surge in interest during Covid,” said Adam Fogg, Abercrombie & Kent’s global Tailor Made product manager. “Guests who were used to going on safari in Africa or on an expedition cruise to the Galapagos Islands were looking for an equally exciting wildlife-focused adventure close to home.”

Other operators have continued to see a surge in demand. “American safari-style trips have seen an uptick in interest of about 15 percent year-on-year,” says Luca Fella, a travel expert at bespoke tour operator Black Tomato. “The reality is for some, especially for those older or a bit apprehensive about the flight time and needing to make various transfers to lodges, [an African safari] can seem daunting. An American safari offers a taste—and when done at a really high level, even rivals those farther flung.”

To cater to this crowd, both of the aforementioned providers have captivating, closer-to-home itineraries that fit the bill of a North American safari. Abercrombie & Kent offers an 11-day Tailormade National Parks by Air itinerary through Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Arches, and Grand Teton with transportation via chartered flights. Travellers will have private guides to help them spot bears, wolves, and bison in Yellowstone, wildlife on horseback in Grand Teton, and hike the Grand Canyon before settling into five-star lodging at night.

Black Tomato, meanwhile, offers a Yellowstone “It Runs in the Blood” trip (US$29,280 per person), playing into the Yellowstone phenomenon with “a taste of the life on the Dutton ranch,” as well as Southwest U.S. itineraries that “can wow even the most consummate African safari savant,” Fella says. The company has been known to tack on a stay at Camp Sarika (from US$5,800 per night) in Utah, the tented sister property to Amangiri (from US$4,200 per night), which may be the foremost example of where you can enjoy a super luxe, safari-style stay within the continental U.S.

To tap into this ever-growing market, Camp Sarika unveiled a series of multi-day adventure itineraries, including their own “Big Five Adventure” (from US$64,000). The four-night programme riffs on the notion of Africa’s famed Big Five checklist for animal spotting, but makes it activity-centric: this “Big Five” includes a via ferrata, slot canyon tours, boating on Lake Powell, an aerial tour of the region, and UTV off-roading.

“The ultimate luxury safari-style experience, to me, is personalized to the guest and provides as much or as little adventure as one wants to enjoy, along with the chance to enjoy wellness or other on-property experiences,” says Kerry Hing, Camp Sarika’s general manager. “Our programmes include First Encounters (from US$34,000), an introductory immersion with a slower-paced itinerary for first time adventurers, while more active adventurers will enjoy the highly curated itineraries offering multi-day journeys.” At Camp Sarika, the accommodations also match the safari ethos with full immersion into the pristine, natural setting.

Snorkel safaris and a spirited hunt for agave

South of the border, within Riviera Nayarit, the new-in-2022 Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Rita, Mexico (from US$3,950 per night, all-inclusive) has embraced tented, adobe-style lodging that allows the sights and sounds of the jungle while offering creature comforts—like air conditioning—within. Each of the 15 adults-only villas has an enormous deck and plunge pool, and includes features like fire pits and indoor-outdoor showers.

Naviva encourages its guests to explore the area, organizing complimentary guided “Snorkel Safaris” off the coast of the resort. When wildlife isn’t the focus, travellers can head to the countryside for a different type of wild excursion: The Road to Raicilla programme takes thirsty travellers out on a hunt for some of the finest traditional spirits made in Mexico. The full-day outing (either into the mountains by car, or down the coast by boat) explores the production of Raicilla, a little understood agave spirit in the mezcal family, made on a small scale by local producers using an old school, artisanal approach.

Understanding a slice of local culture, and supporting the people who have opened up their land and traditions to foreign travellers, is another core piece of an African safari that is being translated here in a different setting. The Road to Raicilla outings come at an extra expense (US$2,000 for up to four people on the mountain journey, or US$5,000 for up to four people on the coastal journey) and the proceeds support the local communities who make it possible.